whisky review

William Larue Weller Bourbon Whiskey (2014) Review

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William Larue Weller is the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.  In essence, this is a barrel proof W. L. Weller 12 year old, which is not a bad thing.  I’m sure this release gets choice barrels from the W. L. Weller line of whiskies.  A wheated bourbon means wheat is used as the flavoring grain instead of the more common rye.  Maker’s Mark and the Van Winkle bourbons are all wheated bourbons.  Mr. Weller is credited with being the first distiller to use wheat instead of rye for bourbon back in the mid-1850s.

This year’s release of William Larue Weller is a hellish 140.2 proof.  That’s the highest proof this bourbon’s ever been.  It’s even higher than this year’s George T. Stagg… if only by a couple of proof points.  Buffalo Trace Distillery provided a review sample.

When I take a nice big whiff of this bourbon, I get lots of alcohol and caramel.  When I take a smaller whiffs, I get LOTS of caramel and toffee, as well as a little oak.  Tasting it there’s a lot of sweet caramel, baking spices like cinnamon and cloves, and toffee.  The finish is sweet and dry.  While the high proof does come into play in terms of spice and heat, I find it slightly more palatable to drink neat when compared to George T. Stagg.  Adding water to this calms down the heat and really brings out the sweetness.

Make no mistake, this is one delicious bourbon.  Being a member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection means it’ll be very hard to find in stores.  If the planets align and you run across a bottle, pick it up for the $80 suggested retail price.

9/10

George T. Stagg Bourbon Whiskey (2014) Review

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Every fall Buffalo Trace releases their Antique Collection comprised of three bourbons (George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, and Eagle Rare 17 Year Old) and two rye whiskies (Sazerac 18 Year Old and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac).  They range in age from 6 or so years to 18, and three of them are barrel proof.  These five whiskies are coveted among American whiskey fans.  George Stagg and Sazerac 18 are almost always at the top of “best of” whiskey lists each year.  Lately, hype surrounds certain bourbons (Pappy, anyone?), and these five whiskies are no exception.

This year’s George T. Stagg was distilled in 1998, making it 16 years old.  It comes to us “uncut & unfiltered” at a hearty 138.1 proof.  If you’re used to only drinking 80 or 90 proof bourbon, this number looks astronomical.  The strongest Stagg release was back in 1997, which saw a 144.8 proof bourbon.  Yikes!  I like sipping neat first, then adding a little water if I need it.  Most times I don’t.  This time I kept it close-by. Buffalo Trace Distillery provided a review sample.

This stuff smells nice.  I got alcohol fumes, caramel, toasted oak, and a little citrus.  Tasting it (slowly), I find it’s one of the thicker whiskies I’ve had.  Could be due to the high proof.  I got lots of toffee, butterscotch, cinnamon, a little oak and some vanilla.  There was also a little bitterness.  Buffalo Trace’s included tasting notes mentioned dark chocolate.  That may be the best way to describe the bitterness.  Now, don’t go expecting a Hershey bar here.  The finish was long and bittersweet.  The heat fades after a few sometimes intense spicy moments.  I tasted about half the glass neat, then added a minuscule amount of water.  The water slightly calmed down the heat and spaced the flavored out a bit.

The suggested retail price for the whiskies in the Antique Collection is $80.  Anything higher than that and your store is gouging your wallet.  I spoke about whiskey hype earlier in the post.  This one lives up to whatever hype it receives.  Drinking George T. Stagg is a truly sensory experience.  Don’t pass up a chance to purchase a bottle (at a reasonable price).  Your taste buds will thank you.

9.5/10

Few Rye Whiskey Review

This is the last in a series of posts  devoted to craft distillery Few Spirits.  I posted a short interview with their founder & master distiller Paul Hletko, and posted about their bourbon.  In addition to distilling and aging bourbon, Few Spirits also makes a rye whiskey.  They were kind enough to send me a small sample.

Photo courtesy of Few Spirits

Photo courtesy of Few Spirits

Just like their other spirits, Few rye whiskey’s label contains the same kind of 1892 Chicago World’s Expo art.  The company’s love for Chicago can’t be made clearer.  It’s easily one of my favorite label designs.

In the glass, it smells a little grainy and a little like sweet corn.   Much like their bourbon, Few’s rye whiskey tastes of like sweet corn and caramel… just not in the same amount as the bourbon.  This is also much more rye forward given it’s a rye whiskey.  It’s not super spicy, however.   The spice is held in check.  There’s also a little oak.  The finish is quick and dry.

This 93 proof rye whiskey runs about $50.  This is the first rye whiskey I’ve sampled that’s not from a large distillery.  It’s different than mass produced rye whiskies.  Not better or worse, just different.   I’m probably not stating this correctly, but it feels like I get more of the “raw grain” flavor than the depth of flavors I get from more aged whiskies.   Personally, I prefer the latter.  However, I suggest you try this one if you ever come across it.  You won’t be disappointed.

6/10